Until about 1980, taxonomists placed a number of species, including this one, under Phyllanthus niruri L. Where the name Phyllanthus niruri has been applied in older literature to African or Asian specimens, usually Phyllanthus amarus is intended, but sometimes also Phyllanthus debilis, Phyllanthus fraternus, Phyllanthus maderaspatensis or Phyllanthus rotundifolius. Specimens of true Phyllanthus niruri have actually never been confirmed from outside the Americas. In pharmacological literature the confusion between Phyllanthus fraternus and Phyllanthus amarus still persists[].

Common Name:

General Information

Phyllanthus fraternus is an erect, annual plant growing up to 45cm, occasionally to 60cm[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and dye. The plant is traded internationally in small quantities for medicinal use[].

Known Hazards

Plant-extracts are poisonous to fish and frogs[].
Saponins are present but, however, no record has been seen of the plant’s use as a fish-poison, though very strong molluscicidal activity is reported from the root[].

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh. A pantropical weed.

Habitat

Deciduous woodland, on mud-flats and shady damp ground in bushland, on termite mounds, in grassland, on rocks and sandy soils and on gravelly plateau soils, at elevations from sea-level up to 1,800 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.40 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant tolerates dry conditions but does not survive in waterlogged conditions[].
A widespread weed of roadsides, cultivated land and waste places[, ].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The leaves are strongly diuretic[]. A decoction is drunk to facilitate childbirth, and against oedema, costal pain and fever[, ]. In Sudan the leaves are given against dysentery[, ]. The young leaves are given to children as a treatment for coughs and hiccups[].

A plant extract is reported to be strongly diuretic and is taken to allay spasms, such as griping in dysentery. The plant is also used as a laxative and to treat gonorrhoea, dropsy, diarrhoea and malaria[, ].
The plant extract is applied externally to treat skin infections[].

The plant sap is applied to treat bruises, sores and ulcers, and mixed with oil against ophthalmia and conjunctivitis[, ].

The fruits are used in the treatment of ulcers, wounds, sores, scabies, ringworm and other skin problems[].

Fresh roots are taken against jaundice, and crushed with milk are used as a galactagogue[, ]. A decoction of roots and leaves is used to treat malaria[, ].
Powdered roots and leaves are made into a poultice with rice-water to treat oedema and ulcers[].

In India Phyllanthus fraternus, in a mixture with other Phyllanthus spp., is sold in a herbal medicine called 'Bhumyamlaki', which is widely used against jaundice and is considered acrid, carminative, cooling and useful in the treatment of thirst, bronchitis, asthma, leprosy, anaemia, venereal diseases, problems of the genito-urinary tract, anuria, biliousness and hiccups[].

The lignans phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin have been isolated from the leaves, but some reports indicate that this may be due to confusion with Phyllanthus amarus[].
The leaves also contain the lignans niranthin, nirtetralin and phyltetralin[].
Other compounds isolated from the plant include alkamides, a quinolizidine alkaloid, the flavone tricin, triterpenoids, the tetraterpenoid phyllanthusone, and waxes[].
An alcohol extract of the root contained the seco-sterols phyllanthosterol, phyllanthosecosteryl ester, phyllanthostigmasterol and fraternusterol[].
The seed oil contains ricinoleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid[].
The two isolated alkamides possessed moderate antiplasmodial activity in vitro[].
An aqueous extract of the plant showed protection against the effect of chronic alcohol consumption on the liver. The decrease in cytochrome content of the cells was partly undone by the extract[].
A root extract of plants from Sudan showed high toxicity to Bulinus and Biomphalaria snails, but the plant extracts are also poisonous to frogs and fish[].

Other Uses

A black dye is obtained from the stem and leaves. It is used to dye cotton, and can also be used as an ink[, ].

Propagation

Seed -

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